Thesis (M.Sc.)(Agricultural Extension)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Title from opening screen (March 27, 2005). Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references.

<p> The world today needs citizens that value and behave in response to an ever-accelerating ecological crisis. Place-based environmental education delivered in an expeditionary framework can facilitate the development of students' conservation ethic and action. This thesis seeks to apply research on conservation psychology and environmental education in the design of a comprehensive, semester-long, field-based expeditionary curriculum focused on landscape studies of the Colorado Plateau taught at Prescott College. The research and curriculum design explore the question: <i>What are the critical elements of an expeditionary, place-based semester curriculum that instill a conservation ethic and action within students?</i> This question was explored through curriculum design and implementation informed by textual research and theory and in utilizing the application of heuristic research methodologies. As a result, the research grounds and integrates the awareness to action continuum into an expeditionary field semester curriculum to present the critical elements of fostering a conservation ethic in students, using a creative applied thesis format.</p><p>

<p> The study investigated the use of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) in English and Business classrooms in Higher Education from the context of learners&rsquo; performance outcomes, as well as stakeholders&rsquo; (learners, administrators, and faculty) perceptions pertaining to their experiences when using an MMOG based curriculum. The findings strongly suggest that MMOGs helped enhance learner performances in statistically significant ways, and provided valuable insights into elements of interest and concerns of stakeholders about MMOG usage in classrooms. Based on these insights, I designed a practitioners&rsquo; guide to assist future scholars interested in this curricular approach. This guide provides innovative tips on show how faculty, administrators and institutions may imbibe this cutting-edge technology in easy and affordable ways within classrooms, while dealing with several concerns such stakeholders may have regarding the use of such games. Given the rise in popularity of game based technology and the existing literature on the value of game based education, coupled with a paucity of studies examining applicability and implementation issues in the context of using MMOGs, I hope that this submission will be a valuable contribution to the literature.</p><p>

The knowledge-based economy, advances in information and communication technologies and new pedagogical perspectives all influence the need to improve competencies in the 21st century. Innovative educational ideas and concepts have transformed the roles of teacher educators and their students. Adequate technology training is therefore a prerequisite for the teacher educator to develop prospective teachers who can use new technologies to support and improve their students’ achievement gains. However, many of these efforts fail since they are mostly based on a formal, institutional delivery of instrumental knowledge and skills. Adequate technology training is a major factor that can help to promote the uptake of emerging technologies into the curriculum, which in turn benefits students (Yoon et al, 2007; Collins & Halverson, 2009; Earley & Porritt, 2014). This research seeks to add to current knowledge about teacher educators’ technology professionalisation and to provide an instrument for the purpose of mapping teacher educators’ technology learning preferences in the workplace. The technology learning preferences instrument (TLP-instrument) designed, implemented and evaluated in this research is intended to create a link between teacher-educators’ technology learning needs in the workplace and the way in which professional development programmes should be tailored to meet teacher educators’ evolving learning needs. The investigation employs a design-based research approach which is cyclical and appropriate for addressing complex problems in educational practice for which no clear guidelines for solutions are available. To collect and analyse the data, a mixed methods approach was used. The rationale for mixing both types of research is that qualitative and quantitative methods complement each other (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2011). Findings in this dissertation and in follow-up research are intended to lead to more effective technology professionalisation programmes through suggestions for better design and development based on teacher educators’ learning needs.

<p> Doctoral student attrition was calculated at approximately 50% or greater for nearly 50 years. Exceptionally high attrition in the social sciences, humanities, and online programs was identified. The cost to students, institutions and society was of significant concern. Most students were found capable of degree completion. The median timeframe for completion was approximately 7.9 -12.7 years. Long-term student persistence was relevant to theories of social exchange, person-organization fit, positive psychology, self-determination, suicide theory, organizational support, connectivism, persistence, failure, choice and goal theory, and the theory of involvement. Critically, higher education was viewed as an employment strategy. Students continually analyze the cost benefit of attendance, their perception of time to reward, and the reliability of the reward to provide value. The institution was considered accountable for student resilience. Program alignment with career opportunities, proactive transition management, sustainable interventions, non-academic mentoring, and occupational socialization were essential to persistence. Missing were parameters for a university-wide infrastructure to manage supporting activities, particularly partnerships with industry to facilitate long-term occupational socialization through mentoring. Corporate learning partnerships and human capital management strategies were briefly explored. A university-based doctoral student support center was structured using management and value-system models. Leadership, accountability, costs, and funding were considered in system building. Mixed-method interviews of 75-120 minutes were conducted with 15 managers with relevant experience. Approaches to partners and providing ROI required understanding organizational values and culture. Long-term partnerships supporting part-time online doctoral students appeared sustainable, and stable protocol for partnership management was identified.</p><p>

<p> Computational Thinking continues to gain popularity and traction within conversations about curriculum development for the 21^st century, but little exists in the literature to guide the inclusion of Computational Thinking into curriculum outside of K12. This Delphi study seeks to fill part of the gap in the literature and instantiate conversation in the Higher Education community about the importance of CT as a topic, and how it may be approached formally in curriculum development. </p><p> Over 3 rounds of Delphi panel deliberation, several interesting and informative themes emerged related to issues of domain expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensurance of quality and integrity of computational knowledge, attitudes and practices through curricular initiatives. Additionally, potential solutions and vehicles for delivering strong outcomes are identified and discussed, through the lens of Landscapes of Practice (Wenger, 2014). </p>

As a American born Cape Verdean educator, I took a special interest in the educational experience of Cape Verdean students, particularly on the elementary school level. During my classroom discussions, conversation with fellow bilingual teachers, parents and other students I discovered that most elementary students know very little about their culture or heritage. After extensive research, including a visit to the Cape Verde Islands I discovered that there was no curriculum on the Cape Verdean culture in the American School system. The purpose of my thesis was to present a rationale for such a curriculum, research all of the essential components of the Cape Verdean culture, and then to actually construct the curriculum. The curriculum is comprised of nine lessons. These lessons are composed of the following: A visual introduction to the Cape Verdean people and life; The Environment of the Cape Verde Islands; A Historical Timeline of Cape Verdean Island; Emigration to America; Crioulo: the Cape Verdean language; Music of the Cape Verdean People; Food in Cape Verdean Life; Cape Verdean Currency; and Folk Tales of the Cape Verdean People. Hopefully this curriculum will be used by elementary teachers to expand the consciousness of all students regarding the Cape Verdean people and their culture. The culture and heritage of the African-American is closely linked to that of the Cape Verdean. The physical characteristics, mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, medicine, diet, and superstitions of both ethnic groups are similar. Since African-Americans and Cape Verdeans are linked in culture and heritage, a curriculum focused on Cape Verdean culture should prove to be a valuable tool for both groups.

This study evaluates literacy levels of education using senior high school mathematics textbooks. It uses content analysis, the latent approach and the evaluation research design, to study the costs and benefits of literacy instruction. The examination discusses demands for a literate society in the year 2000, estimates the level instruction to changes in student behavior, and correlates exposure with assessed student performance. The study specifically observes the codes and contents of mathematics textbooks adopted for use in Maryland's inner city public high school mathematics programs. It compares levels of literacy exposure in the Special Education, Regular and Honors programs. It evaluates mathematics education benefits and costs based on the students performance on functional mathematics tests; completion of minimum requirements for admission to college; and vocational certification. It compares the applicability of the mathematics to the demands of society in the year 2000.

This study examined the academic progress of limited English proficient students who have been mainstreamed from the bilingual program. The study population consisted of thirty fourth grade students from the Hoboken, New Jersey School District who have previously participated in the bilingual program from Kindergarten to third grade. It included an analysis of identification process, their tenure in the bilingual program, and their present mainstream academic status. The study focused on the follow-up aspects (not often undertaken by bilingual programs) evaluating success and failure factors for mainstreamed bilingual students. Subjects examined included student achievement and assimilation, using a comparative base on non-bilingual program English-speaking students. Both reading and mathematics achievement data on the target population were analyzed for skill deficiencies using the Comprehensive Test for Basic Skills (CTBS) data base. A review of factors affecting students' progress was assessed via surveys of personnel who work with limited English proficient students. These interviews included parents, teachers, and administrators. Factors derived from these interviews, review of literature, and empirical observations combined to facilitate the development of a mainstreaming model. The mainstream model was designed to facilitate parents, teachers, and administrators with baseline data in organizing an effective mainstream criterion. The following are three major conclusions which were derived from this study: (1) Multiple criteria for entry and exiting bilingual students should allow for a more effective assessment of the limited English proficient students. (2) Program goals and objectives must be identified to maintain proper direction in the bilingual curriculum. (3) The development of a mainstream model.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the focus correction strategy of the Cumulative Writing Folder Program had a positive effect on students' overall writing skills and on the major writing areas of mechanics, style, content and organization. A pre and post exploratory study was used in this research with a sample of 22 grade 7 urban middle school students. The study looked for significant differences between high and low repetitions of focus correction areas (FCAs) and their effect on achievement. Writing samples were assessed with holistic and primary trait scoring. The important findings of this study are that: (1) The Cumulative Writing Folder Program works and produces significant increases in students' writing skills overall and for all variables studied: mechanics, style, content and organization (p $<$.001). It especially works as a way to focus teachers' attention on writing and as a means for teachers and administrators to provide a set of strategies that everyone can use. (2) A balance of FCAs should be used. An overemphasis on mechanics may actually decrease students' mechanical skills. (3) The frequency of FCAs may not be as important as the focusing of the correction itself. These results are all the more meaningful because they were achieved in an inner city middle school with minority students. They reinforce the notions that an atmosphere of literacy can be created, good writing can be taught, and classroom practices make a difference. Further research must be done to determine if the positive results were due to frequency of writing, consistency of approach, the management system, oral reading, or using past papers to teach new skills which are the other major components of this program, or to the atmosphere of literacy at the study school, and to find out what number of Focus Correction Area repetitions works best. Additionally a study should be done to examine which individual focus correction areas have the greatest effect on writing performance. When research responds to these issues, American schools will produce more effective writers and the teaching of writing will be close to reaching its potential.